Spheris – SPRS ICO Decentralized Blockchain App Distribution?

Spheris is a decentralized application marketplace built on an open source system with payment processing. Find out how Spheris works today.

What Is Spheris?

Spheris, found online at Spheris.io, is an open-source decentralized application marketplace with a standalone solution for payment processing.

The main goal of Spheris is to create an app store without third party fees. The Spheris platform aims to become the go-to place for developers who wish to be in control of their revenue, and for customers who want the majority of their funds to go to developers.

Spheris’s whitepaper sees an opportunity for a decentralized app marketplace with lower fees. Obviously, the world of software and apps hasn’t slowed down, and the developers pool continues to increase. Here’s how the Spheris whitepaper explains their opportunity:

“The creation of a new decentralized software market will mark the next step in the natural evolution of Web 3.0, and with it, an entirely new business sector revolving around DApps.”

What Problems Does Spheris Seek to Solve?

Spheris has identified a number of problems in the application market today, including all of the following:

High Financial Fees

Developers on modern app and gaming platforms must pay enormous fees. The Google Play Store, for example, charges a $25 registration fee. Apple charges a $99 fee or $299 enterprise fee. Steam charges a $100 fee. All of these platforms also charge 30% transaction fees (which is pretty standard across the industry). On top of all of these fees, developers must still pay 3% or more for credit card processing, or even higher fees for PayPal. Spheris, like many other blockchain-based platforms, aims to charge significantly lower fees (or possibly even no fees).

Centralization

Centralized marketplaces have major problems and inefficiencies. The centralization means that app marketplaces are subject to censorship. Applications must be reviewed by a central governing body prior to being accepted into the marketplace. Applications can be rejected.

No Anonymity

Developers who wish to sell their software must share their identity in one form or another. This might seem like an innocent step – until developers release some app or software that is deemed controversial by centralized authorities. In countries around the world, for example, software that incorporates a political message can be automatically marked for censorship, putting its developers in danger of prosecution.

Ultimately, Spheris aims to solve crucial problems in the app development community. The Spheris whitepaper mentions examples like an app called TubeMate, which lets users watch and download YouTube videos. It’s against Google’s interests to allow this app on the Google Play Store. That’s why apps like TubeMate and similar apps are not allowed. Other developers face restrictions based on location, or restrictions based on age.

How Does Spheris Work?

Spheris’s solution is called the Decentralized Application Marketplace, or DAM. It’s a combination of five separate components that work together to form the whole of the Spheris platform. Those components include the Catalog, Browser, Manager, Signal, and Storage.

The platform is built for two broad groups of people: the Developer and the Consumer. Developers can register and sell specific software through the Catalog. Once the software is registered, the platform creates an app instance. Developers can create subscription plans to connect with their software. The software can be uploaded to Spheris’s Storage platform, which is decentralized by default. Signal, the subscription validation library, works as an added layer of security to ensure that consumers are using applications as the developers intended.

Meanwhile, consumers can search and find any app using the Spheris Browser, which is essentially the UI for browsing the Catalog (it’s the “app store” part of the platform). Browser will fetch metadata from Catalog and relay it back to the consumer. If a consumer decides to purchase the software, payment in SPRS tokens can be transferred via the Manager. The subscription is recorded in the blockchain, creating a unique ID which connects the Manager to the app instance.

Here’s a brief overview of each of the five components in Spheris:

Catalog:

The Spheris Catalog is a registry stored on Ethereum’s blockchain. The Catalog stores relevant data like registered developers, applications, subscriptions, and ratings. Data is written and retrieved using Smart Contract methods – functions that are executed on the Ethereum Virtual Machine.

Browser:

The Browser is the “app store” part of Spheris. It’s the UI you use to interact with the Catalog. You can use the Browser to discover a list of available apps. The screenshots posted in the Spheris whitepaper make the app store look similar to the Google Play Store and other popular app stores – which is a good thing.

Manager:

The Manager is a crypto wallet designed to work with Spheris and perform basic Ethereum operations. The Manager will be available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Android. It will have full support for all ERC20 tokens.

Signal:

Spheris Signal is a subscription validation library. Developers can use Signal as an additional security layer to ensure their app is being accessed with the private key that was used to purchase the subscription.

Storage:

Spheris Storage is an intermediary component allowing developers to upload their applications to multiple storage locations. Spheris will use popular centralized storage options like Dropbox and Google Drive. They’ll also support decentralized blockchain storage solutions like Storj and Sia.

Spheris’s whitepaper also mentions two additional features: a Ranking System and the Spheris LaunchPad. The Ranking System is a weight-based ranking algorithm designed to promote quality results to the top of the app store.

LaunchPad, on the other hand, is a program aimed at attracting new and established developers to the Spheris platform. LaunchPad audits the apps, then pays for the accepted apps. Spheris will take 15% of the crowdsale in exchange for their support.

The Spheris Token Sale

The Spheris ecosystem revolves around the use of Spheris tokens, or SPRS. A total of 2 trillion SPRS will be created. The token is an ERC20-compliant token.

A total of 1.24 trillion SPRS tokens (62% of the total supply) will be available through the crowdsale. They’ll be sold at a rate of 1 ETH = 300,000 SPRS. Spheris will accept contributions in Ether and Bitcoin.

Spheris has a minimum goal of $720,000 USD. Contributors will receive a refund if that minimum isn’t met. The crowdsale will last 30 days, beginning on September 19.

Who’s Behind Spheris?

Spheris is led by David Shabun, Sergey Tsyba, Vladimir Shabun, and Anastasia Royer. The development team is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Spheris aims to launch all of the components of its platform in 2018. The Catalog will be created first, followed by the Spheris Signal alpha and the Spheris LaunchPad Program before the end of Q2 2018. By Q1 2019, the company hopes to launch its Spheris Storage alpha.

Spheris Conclusion

Spheris is a decentralized app store that aims to solve crucial problems for app developers and consumers. It aims to reduce fees, prevent censorship, and provide a fairer marketplace based on the Ethereum blockchain and SPRS tokens. The company is preparing to launch its platform throughout 2018, with a full-featured release scheduled for Q1 2019.

Spheris is currently preparing for its upcoming ICO, scheduled to launch on September 19. You can learn more about Spheris by visiting the company online at Spheris.io.